Drawbar carrier



25v Sheats/-eet 1 lvwvr v sept; 25,1923.

H. E. VAN4 DORN DRAWBAR CARRIER Filed Sept. 9. 1.921

fgdZ/jr 7? ha MM y A Selst. 25"; 1923.- 1,468,766

H. E. VAN DORN I DRAWBAR CARRIER 'Filed sept. s. 1921 K s shuts-sheet s Patented Sept. 2,5, 1.923.A

entre s'rAgs taaie;

HERBERT E. VAN DOEN, OEy OHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

nRAwEAn CARRIER.

Application sied' septemiier 9,1921. seriai 116.4995355.;

useful Improvement in Drawbar Carriers,

and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make -and-use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

Wy invention relates to drawbar mechanisni for railway cars and the like and has for its object to produce a simple andnovel carrier for the front end 'of the drawbar which will hold the latter yieldingly at a normal elevation, while permitting it to be pressed downwardly when occasion demands and be raised freely.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple, novel and compactv after be pointed out with particularity inl the claims; but, for a full kunderstanding of my invention and of its objects andadvantages, reference-may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a drawbar provided with a carrier arranged in accordance with a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the drawbar shown in Fig. l, together with a part of the underfraine of a car to which the drawbar is attached;

Fig. Sis a view similar to Fig. 1,'showing a modiiication; v

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2,*showing the saine modication as that illustrated in Fig: 3; a

ig. 5 is a section taken approximately on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, on' an'enlarged scale; f

Vconveniently accomplished byV hing'ing a dle Fig. 6 is a p@rsp@Cavi-.kV View of the beii crank supportingmember shown yin Figs.' 1, Zand;` Fig.v 7 is asection, on an enlarged scale, talen approximately on line 7 7 of Fig. 4Q;V F ig. 8 is a sectionon approximately the same scale' as lI `ig.7',taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 4. Y' i Referring toFigs.V 1,12, 5 and 6v ot the' drawings, `Lrepresents a drawbar fastened at its reariend by a suitable joint 2 to a" part 3 fixed to a car structure; the `joint being of any usual and suitable construction to permit the drawbar to swing in a vertical Y plane and also-in a horizontal plane. Undeineath the underframel 4' of the car is at-` tached aV curved supporting bar Y5 serving as a track from which 'therfront 'end of tht drawbar is vadaptedto be suspended'. "All of the parts heretotore'described may be ot' any usual or .suitablel construction since the 'i present invention is not concerned therewith. Surrounding the drawbar, near the front end of the latter; is a box 6 in which the drawbar* slides. The box is villustratedV as being Vmade in two halves separated along a horizontal K means of bo s-7 passing through suitable registering ears 8, but it maybe made inA any other suitablemanner.4 VSlidably supported uponthe curved track' isa saddleji). Y.The supporting-box is hung from this saddle in such a way thatthe drawbar is yieldably plane and fastenedtogether by 'l supported at a normal elevation; may be lifted, preferably freely; and may be pressed downwardly against the tension of vthe supporting spring when necessary. V'Iliisfis supporting member at one end vto the sa and' at an. intermediate point to the box, a

spring being placedbetweenl the drawbar or box and the other end Vof the supporting member`;the two hinge pointsbeing spaced apart from each other inthe direction of the lengthof the drawbar and the spring i.

nectedtogether by a suitable cross-piece 12, l

integral-therewith, and the free ends of the arms Y 11V being connected together by a detachable cross-piece 13. The two bell crank levers are spacedl apart adistance somewhat greater than the width of the box 6 so that they may lie one on each side of the box. The saddle has two downwardlyprojecting ears 14 each of which is received in a jaw 15 in the free end of the corresponding bell crank arm 10; bolts 16 passing through the jaws and the earslying therein completing two co-'axial hinge connections between the supporting member andthe saddie.' At the rear end ofthe box are Atwo upwardly-projecting ears 17. Each of these ears lies adjacent to the angle of one of the bell crank levers and is pivotallyconnected or hinged thereto by means of a bolt 18.

Onthe under side of the box 6 is a spring housing 19 in which is contained a spring 2O acting on a plunger 21 which projects out throughV the rear of the housing; the spring and plunger extending in the direction of the length of the drawbar.

The' parts are so proportioned that when they are assembled the arms V1,0 of the bell crank levers lie approximately horizontally ofthe drawbarwhile the arms 11 extend apweight of the proximately vertically downwardly beside the drawbar; the cross-bar 13 between the lower ends of the arms 11' abutting against the rear end ofthe plunger. -When the parts are in these positions, the spring is under sufficient tension to hold the drawbar up. lt willbeseen that the horizontal arms of the bell crank levers serve as connecting links between the saddle and the drawbar and, if thespring were removed, these arms would swing downwardlyV and allow the drawbar to drop.` The spring, however, holds the arms normally from swinging in the downward' direction, but ermits them `to swing downwardly througi a limited distance whenever a suiiicient downward pressure is exertedron the front end of the drawbar. In case a lifting force is applied to the front end of the drawbar, the arms or links 10 simplyswing up, the cross-bar 13moving away from the plunger so that there is no resistance to the lifting'of the front end of the drawbar except that exerted by the mere y parts. 1 It will thus be seen that I have produced an exceedingly simple and compact supporting Yhanger utilizing a comparatively long spring which, by lying snugly against the under siderof the drawbar and paralleling the same, does not take up space needed for other purposes.

In Figs. 3, 4,'7 and 8 I have shown a somewhat different arrangement, embodying the same principle as heretofore explained.V ln this arrangement the spring is placed on top of the drawb'ar and the horizontal arms' of Ithe bell crankv levers Vunder-v cover plate 2S forthe open side.

neath thedrawbar. This necessitates a supporting saddle or yolre25 havingtwo long downwardly-projecting arms which liesoneach side of the drawbar. rl`he supporting lbox 27 in which the drawbar slidesis .Li-shaped in cross section, being open'at the bottom and having a U-shaped rlChe spring housing 29 is located on top of the box and it contains aspring 3() and a plunger .31 similar to the members 20y and 21 in the other 26 one of f form.; another difference betweenr the two forms being that the housing is open on the front end and the plunger projects from the `front end thereof. The double bell crank member consists oftwobel-l cranks'each havV ing arms 32 and 33 yarranged at right angles to each other, the 'freeends of the arms33 being connected together by a cross-piece nected to the downwardly-projecting arms .l

26 on Vthe saddle by means of bolts 35. A bolt 36 passes through 'theangles of the two bell crank levers, through ears 37 projecting downwardly fronr the side walls-of the box 27 and through'the downwardlydirected flanges on the EJ-shaped cover plate 28 at the bottom of the box; Thisfbolt therefore serves pivotally to. connect the double bell crank lever to the box and to fasten the front end of the bottomA cover to the box. A bolt 38, passing through ears 39 projecting downwardly from the rear ends of the side walls of the box and through downwardly-projecting.flanges on the cover plate 28, serves to support the rear end of the cover plate., Y y Y When the parts are assembled, the arms 32 of the bell crank levers lie horizontally beneath the drawbar while the arms 33 extend upwardly beside the drawbar; the cross-piece 34 between the upper ends offthe arms 33 beingprovided with a central lug or project-ion i0 which engages with the front end of the plunger. f lVhen the drawbar is vpressed downwardly the tendency is to press the upper ends of the arms 33 of the bell-crank lever and therefore the cross-bar 34 in the rearward direction. This tendency is resisted by; the spring-pressed plunger. lVhen a lifting force is applied to the front end of the drawbar, the tendency isto carry thecross-bar 34.- away from the spring-pressed plunger and therefore no resistance, except the weight of the parts,` is'encountered when the front end of the drawbar is lifted.

The .principle lof operation is therefore the same in the two forms of my invention illustrated, the form illustrated in Figs. 'i and 2 being, however, somewhat simpler and lighter than that shown in Figs. 3 and While I have illustrated and described with particularity only two preferred forms of my invention, I do not desire toy be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but.V intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an apparatus of the character described, a drawbar, a member connected with and slidable lengthwise or said drawbar, a support, a. lever hinged at one end `to said support and at an intermediate point to said member, anda spring betw-een the other end of said lever and said member in p ositionA to be stressed when the drawbar is. downwardly.

2. In anapparatus 'of the character depressed scribed, a drawbar, a member connected with and slidable lengthwise or said drawbar, a support, a lever hinged to said mem` ber and to said support, the hinge axes being displaced from each other in the horizontal direction, and a spring acting on said lever at such a point that the spring will be stressed when the drawbar is depressed.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a drawbar, a support, a member connected with and slidable lengthwise o't said drawbar, a. bell crank lever arranged in rear of said support, one of the arms of the bell crank lever being horizontal and the other vertical, the front end or said lever beinghinged to said support, a pivotal connection between the angle of the lever and said member, and a spring between said member and the Jfree end oit the vertical arm of said lever.

Ll. In an apparatus of the character described, a drawbar, a support, a bell crank lever hinged at the angle thereof to the drawbar at a point in rear of said support, a hinged connection between vone end of said lever and said support, and a spring act-ing on the other end of the lever in a direction such that the spring will be stressedv when the drawbar is depressed.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a drawbar, a support, a lever hinged to said drawbar and to said support, the hinge axes being' displaced from each other in the horizontal direction, and a. spring between said lever and said drawbar in po sition to be compressed when the drawbar is depressed.

6. In an apparatus of theA character described, a drawbar, a support, a bellvcrank lever pivotally connected at its angle to the drawbar, one of the arms of the lever being approximately horizontal and being hinged at its free end to said support, and a spring carried by the drawbar and acting transhorizontal, theV free end of each horizontal arm being pivotally connected to said support, pivotal connections between the draws bar and the levers at theangles of the latter,

a cross-bar connecting the free ends of the two remaining arms of the levers, and a spring carried by the drawbar and extending longitudinally of the same, saidY spring acting -on said cross-bar in a direction to exert a pressure upon the same when the drawbar is depressed. ,Y

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a drawbar, a support arranged above the drawbar, two bell crank levers lying on opposite sides of the drawbar and each having an arm arranged above and approximately parallel with the drawbarY and another arm extending downwardly beside the drawbar, a cross-bar connectingthe free ends of the downwardly-projecting arms of the levers, a hinge connection between the free end of each of the first mentioned arms andsaid support; appivotal connectionbetween each lever, at the angle Y box and acting on said lever at a point Y where it will be stressed when said drawbar is depressed.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a support, a drawbar underlying the support, a box surrounding and slida-ble upon the drawbar, a bell crank lever device hinged at the angle thereof to the upper portion Aof the box, said device khaving a forwardly-projecting element hinged at the front end to said support and a downwardlyprojecting element, and a spring mounted on the under side or" said box and acting on said downwardly-extending element in a direction to exert a pressure upon the same when the drawbar. is depressed.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HERBERT VAN DORN. 

